At least two lawsuits filed at a top European court claim Russia violated Europe's Human Rights Convention by removing organs from the recently dead without telling relatives. Russia argues in legal briefs that if doctors were required to get permission before taking organs, people would refuse and the transplantation system would collapse. In a document sent to the European court, Russia said that it should make families feel better, not worse, if they learn their relatives' organs were taken. In her claim to the European court, Valyushchenko asked for 10,000 euros ($12,024) in compensation. If Russia is found to have violated the European human rights convention, the court could order Russia to overhaul its organ donation law.

Source: ABC News March 21, 2018 08:03 UTC